“Humans of New York” creator to replace James Franco in UB Distinguished Speakers Series

By William J. Regan

BUFFALO, N.Y. – Due to a professional conflict, James
Franco will no longer be able to appear at the University at
Buffalo on Saturday, April 29, as part of the UB Distinguished
Speakers Series.

“Humans of New York” creator Brandon Stanton will be
the featured speaker. The event date, time and location
remain the same: 8 p.m. April 29 in Alumni Arena on the UB North
Campus.

Tickets issued for James Franco will be honored for
Stanton’s program. Patrons do not need to obtain
replacement tickets.

As the founder of the street portrait blog, Humans of New York
(HONY), Stanton is referred to as a worldwide Internet phenomenon
and one of today’s most influential storytellers. HONY has
amassed over 17.7 million followers on Facebook and 6.8 million
followers on Instagram.

Stanton’s gift for storytelling also has resulted in two
bestselling books, “Humans of New York” (2013), which
spent 45 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, and
“Humans of New York: Stories,” which shot to No. 1 on
the Time’s bestseller list within two weeks of its October
2015 release.

At UB, he will candidly share his own personal story and the
perspective he has gained since embarking on his journey to help
others tell theirs.

After graduating with a degree in history, Stanton traded bonds
in Chicago until he lost his job, which led him to move to New
York. In 2010, he started Humans of New York.

“The initial goal was to photograph 10,000 New Yorkers on
the street, and create an exhaustive catalogue of the city’s
inhabitants,” Stanton said. “Somewhere along the
way, I began to interview my subjects in addition to photographing
them. And alongside their portraits, I’d include quotes and
short stories from their lives.”

Taken together, these portraits and captions became the subject
of a vibrant blog that now provides a worldwide audience with daily
glimpses into the lives of strangers on the streets of New York
City. Over the past five years, it has also expanded to
feature stories from more than 20 different countries.

More information about the Distinguished Speakers Series,
Brandon Stanton and ticketing is available at the series’
website: www.buffalo.edu/ub-speakers.